EU ministers have called for stronger action to protect girls and young women from online abuse, citing rising levels of cyber violence including cyberstalking, harassment and non-consensual sharing of images.
The Council of the EU announced on Monday it had approved conclusions urging EU countries and the European Commission to improve protection for girls and young women in the digital sphere, with measures covering prevention, victim support and enforcement.
The conclusions draw on a report by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), which included interviews with teenagers across the EU, and found that cyber violence disproportionately affects girls and young women, with girls targeted more often than boys.
Girls and young women aged 13 to 18 also described existing prevention efforts as inadequate.
The Council said the forms of abuse covered in the conclusions include sexist hate speech, online harassment, cyberstalking and the non-consensual sharing of images.
Support, enforcement and platform responsibilities
National governments were urged to provide care, mental health support and legal assistance for victims, with attention to factors such as age, disability and sexual orientation, according to the Council.
It also highlighted education on “digital consent” and promoting “digital self-care” in schools.
Schools should educate teachers and pupils in “gender-responsive digital literacy” — including online safety, spotting disinformation and awareness of technologies linked to gender-based abuse — the Council said.
It also called for parents and caregivers to be offered guidance and practical tools, including free parental control software, and for bystander-intervention training for teachers and other professionals.
The Council stated that EU countries should strengthen regulation and enforcement using existing EU laws including the Digital Services Act — rules requiring large online platforms to tackle illegal content — and the AI Act, which includes transparency obligations for AI-generated deepfakes.
It also called for better ways to identify online evidence and stronger cross-border co-operation, alongside increased investment in the technical resources of law enforcement and NGOs.
Online platforms and social media providers should build safety into their services, moderate content effectively and prevent misuse.
The conclusions also referred to funding for “trusted flaggers” — specialist organisations that identify and report illegal content — and called for closer co-operation between the private sector and law enforcement, including to detect human trafficking.
Clea Papaellina, Cyprus Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, said ministers regarded cyber violence against girls as “real, widespread, and rapidly evolving”, and called for schools and parents to have better tools while law enforcement becomes more effective.
